Cameron Norrie now leads 4-3 head-to-head against Alex de Minaur after pulling off a major upset in their last epic meeting at the ATP Masters in Montreal.

De Minaur had a big advantage and a chance to end the match, but he failed to use the match point. Norrie took advantage of that and scored one of his biggest wins of the season.

In the third-round match in Montreal, Norrie won 5-7, 7-6(5), 6-1.

De Minaur opened the match well and won the first set, while in the second he had a huge advantage with two breaks of serve, leading 5-2. The Australian even had a match point to finish the match, but he failed to convert the opportunity.

At 5-2, De Minaur double-faulted on match point, allowing Norrie to get back into the match. The Brit was able to turn things around, win the second set 7-5 in the tiebreak, and then take complete control in the deciding set to complete a comeback.

At the press conference, Alex de Minaur could not hide his displeasure after the missed opportunity, considering that he could have played much better in this match. The well-known tennis player looked back on the third set, which he lost 6-1, noting that it was his worst part of the match, even though he had several opportunities at the very beginning.

“Yeah. It was just an awful third set for me. I had chances early, some break points. I had some love-30s. I had a 0-40. Just couldn’t execute. And, yeah, definitely wasn’t my best set of tennis.”

De Minaur even served twice for the match in the second set, and the Australian pointed out that he was in an excellent position during this match. However, he reminded everyone that the world of tennis is unpredictable, as his last match just showed.

“I think it was a missed opportunity because I was up today, and I had; obviously I was in a good position, and I had match point to finish off the match. But apart from that, I think, yeah, I wasn’t paying too much attention to that.

It’s tennis. As we’ve seen, anything can happen. It’s not the easiest of conditions out here.

Yeah, I was disappointed, but I’m looking forward to what’s next.”

Experiencing such a defeat always brings negative emotions, but the world of tennis is such that players must quickly focus on the challenges ahead.

Speaking about the behavior of Cameron Norrie, the Australian was not critical of his opponent. Namely, Norrie often changed shirts during the match, and reactions on social media suggested that this might have been part of his tactics. However, De Minaur does not share this opinion.

“No. I think it was very humid today. That’s it. I had to change clothes after the first set as well. And, yeah, it was just humid.”

The next tournament for Alex de Minaur is the ATP Masters 1000 in Cincinnati, which will serve as his main preparation before the last Grand Slam tournament of the season, the US Open, which starts at the end of August.

After the shocking elimination in Montreal, the Australian immediately turns to the continuation of the American hard-court swing, where he will try to raise his form and regain his confidence.

De Minaur in 2026 is having a very solid, but recently inconsistent season, with a 27-14 win-loss record. In mid-July, he achieved the best ranking of his career when he reached No. 5 in the ATP rankings, and he is currently ranked No. 6.

His season was marked by a great start and subsequent problems with consistency. He recorded his biggest success of the year in February, when he won the ATP tournament in Rotterdam.

In addition, he played the final of the 's-Hertogenbosch tournament on grass, reached the semifinals in Hamburg on clay, while he reached the quarterfinals of the Monte Carlo Masters.

When it comes to Grand Slam tournaments, De Minaur reached the round of 16 at Wimbledon, where he was stopped by Flavio Cobolli. At Roland Garros, he ended his performance in the third round after losing to the young Jakub Mensik.

After Wimbledon, the Australian struggles with consistency. Last week in Washington, he was stopped in the quarterfinals by Brandon Nakashima, and now in Montreal, he lost a match he had already been in control of against Cameron Norrie.

The Australian tennis player has shown all his qualities this season, and he hopes to play at his best in the upcoming tournaments and delight the public again. It remains to be seen whether De Minaur will quickly recover from this defeat and perhaps prove in the next tournament why he is among the best players in the world.

Mirra Andreeva has just suffered her third consecutive early exit since her French Open win after Leylah Fernandez handed her a 6-1 6-4 defeat in the Toronto third round.

The Russian tennis star, who was seeded No. 5 at the Canadian Open, saved a set point in the second game to level the opener at 1-1 before losing the next nine games as the home star opened a 6-1 4-0 lead.

After going more than 50 minutes without winning a game, Andreeva finally got on the scoreboard again after winning a tight fifth game of the second set. And while the Russian managed to take the next three games and reduce the deficit, the home star remained calm and served out the match in the 10th game.

Before this year's tournament, Fernandez had played at the event six times and only once made the round-of-16.

Now, the 23-year-old Canadian has reached the last-16 stage at her home WTA 1000 tournament for the second time.

Fernandez will learn her next opponent later today after Naomi Osaka and Elise Mertens conclude their third-round match.

After becoming a Grand Slam champion at the French Open, Andreeva didn't have a great grass season, losing in her Bad Homburg opener and exiting Wimbledon in the second round.

Upon her arrival in Toronto, the 19-year-old admitted that she didn't have time to properly celebrate her French Open win or adjust to her new situation. Still, she insisted that she benefited from a lengthy break that came after her early Wimbledon loss.

“I think that time off was very much needed. I just wanted to switch off from tennis completely and just have some time off. I didn't play tennis for almost two weeks. That was just nice mentally to forget about everything. I was actually very excited to start playing because I was kind of tired of practicing already,” she said. “So, yeah, I was super excited to start the tournament here," Andreeva said earlier this week.

Leylah Fernandez made a funny comment when asked about Alexandra Eala, confirming that they are indeed friends before also revealing that she doesn't have the 21-year-old's phone number.

This week, the Filipina is making her maiden appearance in Toronto - she made her Canadian Open debut last year by losing in the first round in Montreal.

After seeing her Canadian Open campaign end very early last year, Eala had a first-round bye in Toronto as the No. 25 seed before beating Alycia Parks for her first win at the tournament. She plays Caty McNally in the third round.

While in Toronto, Eala named local star Fernandez as one of her friends. And after the Canadian tennis star ousted Renata Zarazua 6-2 6-2 to book a third-round spot, she was asked about the Filipina's comments and whether she had given her friend some tips on which spots to check out in the city.

“Eala was saying she considers you a friend. Have you given her any advice on spots to check out in the city? How has that relationship sort of developed?" a reporter asked Fernandez.

The 23-year-old jokingly responded by saying: "Yeah, she's a friend. I mean, she's a nice girl... Unfortunately, I don't have her number."

Leylah Fernandez on her friendship with Alex Eala “Eala was saying she considers you a friend. How has that relationship sort of developed? Leylah: Yeah, she's a friend. I mean, she's a nice girl. Unfortunately, I don't have her number” 😭😭😭😭 (via Toronto Press) pic.twitter.com/OvNWThiUR2

— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) August 6, 2026

During the same press conference, Fernandez revealed that she rarely gives out her phone number and that she usually messages other players through Instagram.

Also, the 2021 US Open runner-up noted that if Eala needed any kind of advice while in Canada, she could reach out to her.

In her past six appearances, Fernandez has only once made the Canadian Open round-of-16 - it happened in Montreal in 2023.

When it comes to Toronto, this is the first time that the 23-year-old has reached the third round.

A tough task awaits Fernandez in her next match as she plays reigning French Open champion Mirra Andreeva.

Elena Rybakina overcame a second-set hiccup to beat No. 28 seed Ann Li in straight sets 6-2 7-5 and reach the Toronto round-of-16.

The reigning Australian Open champion, who is the No. 2 seed at the Canadian Open, made a lightning start to the match, attacking the American and claiming three breaks to comfortably take the opener.

After not standing a chance in the first set, Li stabilized on serve in the second set - and led 4-3 through the opening seven games - before breaking Rybakina in the eighth game to open a 5-3 lead.

Serving for the set, Li had a set point but failed to convert and got broken back. In the very next game, the 28th-seeded American had another set point but once again failed to convert. That was simply too much to overcome as Rybakina earned another break in the 11th game for a 6-5 lead before wrapping things up in the following game.

RYBAKINA GETS THE JOB DONE💪 She takes down Ann Li in straight sets to advance to the Sweet 16✅ pic.twitter.com/mEpS8Y6VJv

— National Bank Open (@NBOtoronto) August 7, 2026

In the Toronto round-of-16, Rybakina faces the winner of the match between Maya Joint and Liudmila Samsonova.

In the past, the 27-year-old has twice reached the Canadian Open semifinal. Now, she is two wins away from reaching her third semifinal at the Canadian WTA 1000 event.

After exiting the French Open in the second round and Wimbledon in the third round for the second consecutive year, Rybakina acknowledged that she didn't play well at the last two Grand Slams, but also added that she has learned how to respond to losses.

“Clay and grass didn't go the way I wanted. We've been practicing well, but in the matches I couldn't show much. So I'm looking for this hard-court season and hopefully it's going to be much better than clay and grass," the world No. 2 said during her pre-tournament press conference in Toronto.

“Definitely it was different. Much more experience I got throughout the years, and of course knowing what's actually might happen after you win, after you lose, and what to expect, it's kind of easier mentally."

So far, so good for Rybakina, who has defeated Daria Kasatkina and now Li to reach the Toronto round-of-16.

Amanda Anisimova is currently in Toronto at the Canadian Open, where she is trying to stabilize her form and rediscover her enjoyment of the game after an extremely turbulent few months.

After experiencing an incredible rise last year, reaching two Grand Slam finals (Wimbledon and US Open), winning two WTA 1000 tournaments and becoming the world No. 3 player in January of this year, this season brought her numerous setbacks and important decisions.

After an early elimination in the third round of Wimbledon, Anisimova took a break and returned to the court this week at the Canadian Open, a WTA 1000 tournament in Toronto. After receiving a walkover in the second round, she managed to defeat the Czech player Nikola Bartunkova with a score of 3-6, 6-0, 6-4 and advance to the round of 16.

After ending her collaboration with Rick Vleeshouwers in March of this year amid a series of poor results and injury problems, Anisimova made a big decision at the end of July. She decided to reunite with her former coach before the North American tour, with whom she had previously enjoyed great success. The tennis public sees this move as an important step in an attempt to regain confidence and stability.

This season is much more difficult than the last. She started solidly with the quarterfinals at the Australian Open, but in February in Doha, where she defended her title, she suffered an abdominal wall injury that forced her to give up the match. This was followed by months of struggling with form, early exits and recovery, which has seen her fall to No. 10 in the WTA rankings.

The American is now trying to bring back the level of tennis that took her among the best tennis players in the world last year. In addition to the results, her main goal is to rebuild her confidence and find continuity before the end of the season, including the US Open where she will defend a large number of points after last year's final.

The 24-year-old American spoke at the press conference about the pressure from the number of points she has to defend during this year. Anisimova points out that she has passed that phase and that her goal is just to find her game and enjoy being on the tennis court again.

The American tennis player did not have that feeling in the last few months, during which she experienced numerous setbacks.

“I feel like I’m past that point with like the points and everything.

I’m just trying to find my game, and, yeah, find myself on the court. I feel like it’s been a really long year.

I’m trying to find my enjoyment as well. I think that was really important for me today is that I felt like I was myself again on the court. I was kind of missing that for the last few months.”

Her reunion with her coach Rick Vleeshouwers caused positive reactions and it seems that Amanda Anisimova made the right move.

The young tennis player emphasizes that there is no pressure or expectation after the new collaboration, believing that the key is to have fun and find her game again.

“Yeah, I’m really happy to be back with my old coach Rick [Vleeshouwers] as well. I feel like we’ve had a really fun week here so far and just looking forward to hopefully doing well for the rest of the year.

But no pressure, expectations,” said Anisimova. “I think the most important thing is just having fun and just trying to find my game again.”

When she spoke about the reasons for breaking up with Vleeshouwers, Anisimova explained that after a certain time she started missing the energy and connection they had during the previous season. She pointed out that the break was good for them because they both got space to understand what didn't work towards the end of their cooperation.

The American admitted that she herself takes part of the responsibility for the problems that have arisen, stating that their great closeness sometimes affected her behavior and the way she handled certain situations. However, she believes that the period of separation helped them to return calmer and to learn important lessons from last year's experiences.

Anisimova emphasized that she especially appreciates that Vleeshouwers is a person who cares about her even outside the tennis court. She added that his approach suits her because it helps her to enjoy and build a positive atmosphere, which is very important for her as a player.

Iva Jovic suffered a shock Toronto third-round defeat 3-6 4-6 to 89th-ranked qualifier Alina Korneeva after delivering a very poor serving display.

The American tennis star, who was seeded at No. 13 at this week's WTA 1000 tournament in Toronto, was broken three times in the first set and easily lost it.

After losing the first set, Jovic was up a break three times in the second, including holding a 4-3 lead and serving for a 5-3 advantage. But the No. 13 seed's service struggles never stopped as Korneeva responded with back-to-back breaks and won the last three games of the match to complete a two-set win.

It is worth noting that the American tennis star had two consecutive game points when serving to stay in the match in the 10th game, but failed to convert.

For Korneeva, it was her first top-50 win.

Korneeva d. Iva Jovic 6-3 6-4 in Toronto Huge win for the 19 year old. Alina had never even beaten a top 50 player before today. And now… ✅1st top 20 win ✅1st WTA 1000 R16 The biggest moment of her young career… She’s arrived. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/Kux3a4251g

— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) August 7, 2026

Jovic finished the match with two aces and four double faults.

On her first serve, the American landed 58 percent and won just 53 percent of the points. On her second serve, the 18-year-old American won just 5-of-23 (22 percent) of her points.

Also, Jovic saved just one of eight break points faced.

When the Toronto draw was released, one of the potential matchups that stood out was the one between Jovic and Gauff. But now that the No. 13 seed has lost, it will be Korneeva who meets the two-time Grand Slam champion at the Canadian Open.

For the 18-year-old American, this was her first match since losing to Jessica Pegula in the Wimbledon round-of-16.

Jovic will look to bounce back at the Cincinnati Open, where she reached the third round in her debut last year.

Alexander Zverev has officially secured his place at the 2026 ATP Finals, continuing one of the most consistent runs on the ATP Tour.

The 29-year-old has qualified for the prestigious season-ending event for the ninth time in the last ten years, underlining his remarkable ability to remain among the elite for a decade.

See you in Torino Sascha 🤩@AlexZverev is the second player to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals 🔥#NittoATPFinals pic.twitter.com/vZVafjifVo

— ATP Tour (@atptour) August 6, 2026

Regardless of the challenges he has faced throughout his career, the Hamburg native has been among regular participants at the elite eight-player event, missing it only in 2022 following a severe right ankle injury.

With several months of the season still remaining, Alexander has already accumulated enough points to guarantee his place in Turin between November 15-22, chasing a third ATP Finals crown.

The German is among three active players with multiple titles at the premium ATP event, standing alongside Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner.

Only world no. 1 Jannik Sinner has earned more ranking points than the German in this year's ATP Race to Turin. The 29-year-old has enjoyed another outstanding season, producing deep runs at the biggest events and finally becoming a Major winner. 

Like Jannik, Alexander has won 44 matches this season. He suffered a heavy loss in the Australian Open semi-final to Carlos Alcaraz before reaching the final and three semi-finals at a Masters 1000 level by Madrid.

Zverev finally went all the way at Majors at Roland Garros, ousting Flavio Cobolli in the final and lifting the biggest trophy of his career. The German gained a boost and experienced his finest run at Wimbledon.

Having never reached the quarter-final before, Alexander reached the final and fell to Jannik Sinner in four sets after a massive battle. Thus, he established himself as the second most reliable player of the season and punched his Turin ticket.

While his recent Canadian Masters campaign ended with an unexpected opening-match defeat to Tallon Griekspoor, that setback did little to overshadow the impressive body of work he has produced over the past eight months.

Alexander debuted at the elite ATP event in 2017 and provided his first victory. Only a year later, the young gun bested Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic to lift a trohy at 21 and claim a notable title.

Zverev was the semi-finalist in 2019 before heading all the way again in 2021 with a win over Daniil Medvedev in the final. The German did not perform at the 2022 edition, and he failed to pass the group stage a year later despite scoring two victories.

Two years ago, Alexander fell in the semi-final to Taylor Fritz after a massive battle before missing a spot in the last four 12 months ago after two defeats. 

The Hamburg native has been a regular fixture at the season-ending championship, and he will likely travel to Turin as the 2nd seed behind Sinner.  

With his ATP Finals ticket secured, Zverev will turn his full attention to Cincinnati and US Open, seeking more notable victories in what has already been a historic season. 

The 19-year-old Spanish tennis player Rafael Jodar is experiencing an incredible breakthrough season and is currently playing the best tennis of his life during the North American tour on hard courts.

Thanks to a series of sensational results in the last few weeks, he has broken into a record 15th place on the ATP rankings, despite starting the season outside the top 150.

In early August, Jodar caused a sensation by reaching his first career ATP 500 final at the Mubadala DC Open in Washington, D.C. This made him the youngest finalist of that tournament since Andy Roddick in 2001.

On his way to the final, he defeated several high-quality players, including Arthur Fils, former champion Kei Nishikori, top-20 player Lorenzo Musetti and Alejandro Tabilo in the semifinals.

He was stopped by Taylor Fritz in a dramatic final, but his performance in Washington confirmed that he is one of the most talented young players on the ATP Tour.

He continued his great form at the Masters in Montreal, where he continued his winning streak on hard courts. Jodar advanced to the fourth round after defeating Corentin Moutet, then again surprising 11th seed Lorenzo Musetti with a score of 6-4, 6-3. It was his second win against the Italian in just seven days.

Before his impressive results on concrete, Jodar also attracted attention on clay courts. He won the title in Marrakech and then reached his first Grand Slam quarterfinal at Roland Garros. On the way to that stage of the tournament, he played an incredible match against Pablo Carreno Busta, in which he came back after losing the first two sets and won in five sets. His path in Paris was stopped only by Alexander Zverev.

Because of all these results, Jodar is currently in 11th place in the race for the ATP Finals in Turin, which has put him in a realistic position to fight for a place among the eight best players at the end of the season.

Alex Corretja, a former Spanish tennis player, often comments on the successes of players from his country. Carlos Alcaraz is currently the most dominant figure in Spanish tennis, but the 23-year-old has been sidelined for some time after sustaining an injury at the Barcelona Open.

However, it is Rafael Jodar who has been attracting a lot of attention from tennis fans in Spain in recent weeks. Fans hope that the young tennis player could become the new big figure of Spanish tennis and one day fight with Carlos Alcaraz for the No. 1 spot in the ATP rankings.

Alex Corretja points out that while everyone misses Carlos Alcaraz and his dominance on the court, Rafael Jodar has taken some of the limelight and delighted tennis fans around the world. The former Spanish tennis player especially appreciates the many qualities of the young player, not only in his game, but also in his character and his approach to the sport.

Corretja believes that Jodar possesses an exceptional competitive spirit, great concentration and a winning mentality that could help him achieve great things in the future.

“We were missing Carlos Alcaraz, and now Rafa Jodar suddenly appears. He has an extraordinary competitive spirit. Not only does he love winning, but from what I am starting to see, he hates losing.

He is a guy who, when he is on the court, is there only to play, without letting himself get distracted; he is extremely focused on what he has to do. He almost overwhelms you effortlessly, showing incredible solidity, an excellent return and great mobility,” he said, as translated.

Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Jodar have friendly and mentoring relationship filled with mutual respect. Although the media is already presenting them as possible great rivals for the future of Spanish tennis, there is no hostility between them, but only support and the desire to help each other progress.

Their relationship began in 2024, when Jodar received an invitation to be a sparring partner for the Spanish Davis Cup team. It was then that he trained for the first time with Alcaraz, who immediately noticed his great potential. Since that period, the two tennis players have regularly trained together when their schedules coincide, and their relationship has become closer over time.

Although Carlos Alcaraz is still very young, he often acts as an older brother and a kind of mentor to Jodar. The current Spanish tennis leader follows his results and did not hide how much he appreciates his progress. Alcaraz has publicly said that he follows Jodar's matches, and after great successes such as the title in Marrakesh or reaching the final in Washington, he regularly sends him messages of support and congratulations.

He especially emphasizes Jodar's character and behavior off the court. 

Carlos Alcaraz's recovery continues to generate debate after his most recent withdrawal from the Cincinnati Masters. 

The fresh concerns emerged whether the Spaniard will be ready for the US Open later this month, having already missed four months of action.

💇‍♂️🇪🇸 No more braids for Carlos Alcaraz 📸 juan202193 on IG pic.twitter.com/DD23YkiNic

— Olly Tennis 🎾 🇬🇧 (@Olly_Tennis_) August 4, 2026

Spanish journalist Alvaro Sanchez, who is close to the family and who regularly follows Alcaraz's practice sessions in Murcia, believes the seven-time Major champion is still some way from returning to his best level. 

The El Palmar native made a perfect start to the season and achieved the Career Grand Slam in Melbourne at 22. He conquered Doha as well before a couple of defeats, including the Monte Carlo final to Jannik Sinner. 

The young gun injured his right wrist in Barcelona and embraced the most extended break of his career, having missed two Majors and four Masters 1000 events.

According to Alvaro, Carlos is currently operating at roughly 55% of the level he displayed during the opening months of the season in Melbourne and Doha.

The journalist suggested the Spaniard would need to recover to around 85-90% of his peak level before he could realistically challenge for the biggest titles again, especially at the upcoming US Open. 

Thus, Sanchez indicates that significant progress is still required until the 23-year-old gets back at his best. The assessment comes despite encouraging signs in recent days, with Carlos gradually increasing the intensity of his hard-court training after spending four months on the sidelines.

Alcaraz's decision to skip Cincinnati has intensified speculation about his chances of competing at Flushing Meadows in three weeks. The seven-time Major champion has not played a match since April because of a wrist injury.

He missed Roland Garros, Wimbledon and four Masters 1000 events, dropping a lot of points but keeping himself in the top-2, at least until losing his last year's Cincinnati points.

His break from tennis leaves him without any match practice ahead of the final Major event of the season, which is far from an ideal scenario. 

Carlos and his team have repeatedly prioritized a complete recovery over rushing back to competition, but time is becoming increasingly tight. 

The coming days should provide a clearer indication of whether the Spaniard can resume full training, including serving, and give himself a realistic chance of chasing the title defense in New York. 

“If we consider that his performances in Australia or Doha this year represent 100% of his capacity, I would say that he is currently at around 55%. To get back to his best level, he will have to get closer to 85–90%.

He still has a long way to go,” Alvaro Sanchez said.

Nick Kyrgios is known as a tennis player who openly shares his views on various topics, including criticism of some of the leading tennis organizations.

The Australian has often expressed dissatisfaction with competition formats, as well as certain rules in interviews with the media.

He once again shared a controversial opinion.

Namely, Kyrgios, in an interview with a representative of the Ultimate Tennis Showdown (UTS) Tour, pointed out that Grand Slam tournaments should be played in a best-of-three format until the quarter-finals.

“I think Grand Slams should be best-of-three sets up until the quarter-finals,” he said in an interview.

The shortening of matches in men's competitions at Grand Slam tournaments, i.e. the transition from the best-of-five format to the best-of-three format, is being talked about more and more intensively, and the discussion is divided into two completely opposite camps.

While modern management and broadcasters are advocating changes for the sake of player health, attracting a younger audience and easier broadcast scheduling, tennis traditionalists and a large number of players offer strong resistance to the idea of changing the format that has been a hallmark of the biggest tournaments for decades.

Proponents of shortening matches believe that the two-set format could have a positive effect on tennis players' health. Numerous injuries to young stars, such as Carlos Alcaraz's injury problems, as well as an increasingly demanding calendar, further intensified the debate about the physical burden of the players. Their argument is that shorter matches would reduce the risk of injuries and enable tennis players to have longer careers.

One of the important reasons for the change is attracting a younger audience. Proponents argue that the new generation of fans does not always have the patience to watch matches that last four or five hours, while shorter duels would be more dynamic and adapted to modern platforms such as social media.

Television broadcasts are also a big factor. It is very difficult for television companies to plan a program when one match can last only an hour and a half, while another can last almost the whole afternoon. The best-of-three format would allow for a more predictable schedule and a simpler organization of broadcasts.

On the other hand, opponents of the change believe that one of the most important elements of the Grand Slam tournament would be lost. The best-of-five format is exactly what distinguishes the biggest tournaments from other ATP competitions and represents part of their history and tradition.

Many players and fans believe that the true champion emerges only in the fourth and fifth sets. Big upsets from 0-2 down in sets are considered some of the greatest moments in tennis history, and the shorter format could take away some of that drama.

Opponents of the change also point out that in matches with a best-of-three format, the underdogs would have a better chance against the favorites. One bad set or weak start could be enough to eliminate a big name, while the best-of-five format more often allows the quality, physical preparation and mental strength of the best players to come to the fore.

This is why compromise solutions are being mentioned more and more often as a more realistic option. One of the proposals is the so-called 2+3 format, according to which the first four rounds of the Grand Slam tournament would be played on a best-of-three format, while the quarter-finals would switch to the traditional best-of-five format.

Another idea is to introduce shorter sets, like the "Fast4" system, where sets would be played up to four won games instead of six. This would keep the existing concept, but the matches would be significantly accelerated.

Although a complete switch to a best-of-three format seems unlikely at the moment, the debate about the future of the Grand Slam format is getting louder, especially due to the changes in the modern sport and the increasing demands that tennis places on players.

The chances that the format of the Grand Slam tournaments in the men's competition will be permanently changed so that the early rounds are played on a best-of-three format are not so great, but there is a possibility that it will actually happen.

Although the pressure of modern business and the television industry is increasing, tennis still remains one of the most traditional sports in the world. The resistance from key stakeholders, from players to organizers of Grand Slam tournaments, is currently too great for sudden changes to occur.

The best chance is the hybrid model, i.e. a compromise between tradition and modernization. One of the main reasons why changes are being considered more and more frequently is the pressure from large investors and media companies who want a shorter and more attractive television product. The big money pouring into tennis could eventually force the sport's leaders to find a compromise solution.

The most realistic scenario would be that the first week of the Grand Slam tournament, i.e. the first four rounds, would be played on a best-of-three format, while the traditional best-of-five format would be kept from the quarter-finals onward. Such an idea is being mentioned more and more often in tennis circles as a possible solution that would satisfy both advocates of change and those who want to preserve tradition.

Additional pressure is represented by an increasingly demanding calendar. Extending the Masters tournament to 12 days further increased the number of matches and the workload of the best players. If the trend of injuries to big stars like Carlos Alcaraz continues, organizers may be forced to find ways to reduce the physical load in order to protect the health of tennis players.

Jasmine Paolini is set to enter the US Open without a match played on hard courts this summer after announcing that she was also withdrawing from the WTA 1000 tournament in Cincinnati.

The Italian tennis star, who finished as runner-up to Iga Swiatek in last year's Cincinnati final, has been struggling with a left foot issue for quite some time.

After being bothered by the foot issue toward the end of the clay season, Paolini managed to put together a good run at Wimbledon, where she reached the quarterfinal before losing to Marta Kostyuk.

Since then, the current world No. 15 hasn't played a competitive match, skipping Washington and the ongoing Toronto event, and now withdrawing from Cincinnati.

In a message posted on her Instagram Story, the former world No. 4 explained that she wanted to prioritize getting back to 100 percent for the US Open and, hopefully, the rest of the year.

“We’ve decided that I won’t be in Cincinnati. After last year’s final, I was really looking forward to being back, but now the focus is on being 100 percent ready for the US Open and the rest of the season," Paolini wrote in a message posted on her Instagram Story.

Jasmine Paolini, who made the 2025 Cincy final is out this year. She has had a foot issue that has given her issue for some time now but hasn't really taken time off to try and recover until now, not having the season she has the last couple of seasons, could be related. pic.twitter.com/WvX4lr749L

— Tennis Updates (@TennisUpdates26) August 7, 2026

Paolini hasn't played much this year - and when she has played - she hasn't had much success, as she is just 12-7 in 2026.

In mid-May, the 30-year-old exited the top-10 for the first time since June 2024. Now that she is set to drop 650 points after withdrawing from Cincinnati, the Italian could easily leave the top-20 before the US Open.

The US Open starts on August 30, so Paolini still has more than 20 days to prepare for the final Grand Slam of the year.

Rafael Jodar will compete in the last 16 of the Canadian Masters in Montreal following the third top-20 victory of his young career.

A teenager faced Lorenzo Musetti in the third round and provided a 6-4, 6-3 victory in an hour and 35 minutes, extending his brilliant run since April.

Third Top 20 win 👌 19-year-old Jodar cruises past World No. 13 Musetti 6-4 6-3!#NBO26 pic.twitter.com/crB3dwtv7M

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) August 7, 2026

The Spaniard struggled behind the second serve but made the difference with his solid performance behind the first. On the other hand, Musetti could not follow that pace, giving away 56% of the points in his games and suffering six breaks to hit the exit door.

While dropping serve three times, Rafael fired 20 winners and unforced errors. On the other hand, the Italian stayed below ten winners and sprayed 30 mistakes, struggling to find his range and losing ground in the shortest and mid-range exchanges.

A teenager wasted three break chances in the first game of the match and lost serve in the next one after sending a routine forehand behind the baseline. Instead of building on that, Lorenzo sprayed a forehand error in the third game to drop serve and bring his rival back to the positive side. 

They served well in the next four games before Rafael experienced issues on serve at 3-4. The young gun denied two break chances with service winner and provided a hold that gave him a boost.

Jodar stepped in on the return at 4-4 and landed a forehand winner for a break at love. The Spaniad fired a forehand winner at 5-4, holding at love and rattling off 11 points to clinch the opener in 53 minutes.

Carried by that boost, the Spaniard delivered three straight breaks in the second set. Musetti missed a forehand in the first game to fall behind before erasing the deficit on the return in the next one.

A teenager broke at love in the third game with a forced error and landed a backhand winner at the net in the fifth to secure another return game and move 4-1 in front. 

Lorenzo landed a rare winner in the sixth game to pull one break back before holding for 3-4. Rafael claimed an entertaining point in the eighth game for 5-3 and made another push on the return in the next one. 

He broke Musetti at 15 to seal the deal and move into the last 16.

French tennis player Arthur Fils is playing in great shape at the Masters in Montreal, where he dominantly reached the round of 16, achieving two victories in which he showed exceptional physical fitness and maturity on the hard court.

In his first match in Canada, Fils defeated the American Zachary Svajda with a score of 6-4, 3-6, 6-1. After a minor drop in concentration in the second set, the Frenchman took complete control in the decisive part of the match and secured a comfortable victory, with 12 aces during the match.

Particularly impressive was his next match against Argentinian Mariano Navone, whom he defeated 6-3, 6-2 in just over an hour of play. Fils played one of his best performances on hard court this season, not allowing the opponent a single break point during the entire match.

The Frenchman won 91% of the points after the first serve, i.e. 29 out of 32 points played, while with constant pressure from the baseline he made three breaks of serve and completely controlled the rhythm of the match.

Experts point out that Fils in Montreal looks fully recovered and fresh after the minor injury that plagued him last week in Washington. With these victories, he extended his impressive streak in 2026, as he has a 10-0 record on hard courts against players outside the Top 25 in the ATP rankings.

His next opponent in the fourth round will be British veteran Cameron Norrie, who caused a big surprise by eliminating Alex de Minaur.

In his post-match comments after the victory, Fils pointed out that the match was extremely difficult, but that he knew he would have problems, and that the serve would be crucial in this match considering the slowness of the surface. The French tennis player pointed out that this surface is almost slower than clay.

“I served very well, finding some great spots. I was focused from start to finish. In any case, I needed my serve because on a court this slow, if I don’t get any free points, things start to become complicated. It is almost slower than clay here. But overall, I am very happy with my performance.” he said.

Stefanos Tsitsipas was one of the loudest and most outspoken tennis players who complained about the conditions and surface in Montreal.

During his second-round match, in which he was defeated by Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca, the Greek tennis player lost his temper and entered into a heated argument with the umpire.

Tsitsipas' main complaint related to the quality of the surface, which he felt was not at the level of Masters 1000 tournaments. At one point in the match, he angrily told the umpire: "This is like a court from a public court. It has like, a bounce, like this. Do you see it? It's not a singles court. It's a Masters 1000."

The Greek tennis player thought that the concrete was extremely uneven and that the ball often had unpredictable and irregular bounces, which made it difficult for him to find the right rhythm during the match.

His opponent Joao Fonseca tried to calm the situation after the match, saying that the players simply have to adapt to the conditions on the court, regardless of what they are, because they are the same for both tennis players.

Although most players avoid open criticism in public, dissatisfaction with conditions in Montreal has existed for a long time. Many tennis players feel that the speed of the surface and the quality of the court are significantly different compared to other tournaments on the American tour, especially Cincinnati, which makes it even more difficult to prepare for the US Open.

Since the draw in Canada has completely "exploded" and seven of the top 10 seeds have already been eliminated, Fils has a great opportunity for a deep placement. If he beats Norrie, he will play in the quarter-finals against the better of the Rafael Jodar-Jiri Lehecka duel.

After the win over Navone, Fils expressed his great relief at returning to full form after his injury problems.

"It has been a tough time for me, I was injured a lot. But I enjoy being back on the big stage ; it means a lot." he said.

Experts and analysts are optimistic about Arthur Fils' chances at this tournament, believing that the young tennis player could make a big breakthrough at the Canadian Open. Although there are many talented and experienced players in the competition, Arthur Fils is someone who has the quality and potential to go all the way in the tournament.

Many golfers who have been linked to LIV Golf in recent months have also been mentioned as potential candidates for a return to the PGA Tour.

The controversial league is currently going through a rough patch after the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) decided to end direct funding of the project after this season.

The decision set off alarm bells within LIV Golf, but LIV Golf leaders are scrambling to find new investors to secure its future. According to reports from a few days ago, CEO Scott O'Neil and his associates managed to find a lead investor, but many are still not optimistic that a large number of top golfers will remain part of this project.

One of the biggest names being linked to a possible return to the PGA Tour is Jon Rahm. However, the big question is whether the Spaniard will be able to return without serious consequences and under similar conditions as some other players who made the same move earlier.

Another big name mentioned in the context of a return to the PGA Tour is Bryson DeChambeau. He previously pointed out that his future is not completely certain, but that he is currently focused on performances in LIV Golf, as well as on the development of his YouTube channel.

Golf journalist Rex Hoggard commented on the possibility of Jon Rahm returning to the PGA Tour. According to him, the Spaniard would have very little time to fight for a high enough position in the rankings even if he starts the return process immediately.

“If Jon Rahm started the clock right now, let’s say he decided not to play in the New Jersey event, that means he won’t be allowed to play in a PGA Tour-sanctioned event until next year’s Wyndham Championship, which leaves him virtually no time, no space to try and play his way into the top 70, top 50, top 90, whatever the case may be at that point,” he said.

“He’s already up against it when it comes to 2028 and beyond anyway. I can’t imagine him getting the same treatment as Brooks Koepka, not because he’s Jon Rahm and maybe things didn’t go as smoothly with him as they did with Brooks when Brooks left to go to LIV Golf, but because I don’t know that Brian Rolapp can sell the membership on that again, simply because of everything that transpired, particularly all the way to the Championship Series events."

Hoggard believes that after all that has happened, there is a big question about what kind of treatment Rahm would get from the PGA Tour. It remains uncertain whether one of the best golfers in the world will be able to achieve his goals on the world's biggest tour after all the turbulence and the controversial decision to move to LIV Golf.

“You’re right, they could come up with a scenario, you talked about 71 getting bumped, clearly they wouldn’t do that, as a matter of fact they would probably do what they are doing with Brooks Koepka this year, they would probably expand fields so this would benefit players, because they would probably have to expand the fields in these events to make sure that no one got the boot. That, however, still isn’t going to sit well with them. I don’t see Bryson DeChambeau or Jon Rahm getting that sort of treatment.”

Jon Rahm currently refuses to share specific information about his future, remaining very secretive when asked directly about whether he will play in the LIV Golf League next year or whether there is a possibility of returning to the PGA Tour.

When recently asked by the media about his status and potential departure from LIV Golf, Rahm said briefly that he would not reveal anything that he is not ready to share at this time.

However, the situation surrounding his future has become one of the main topics in the world of golf due to several important factors.

One of the biggest reasons for the uncertainty is the financial problems of LIV Golf and possible debts to the LIV Golf's biggest stars. Information has appeared in golf circles that LIV allegedly owes Rahm up to $150 million, because his contract was structured so that a significant portion of the money is paid at a later date.

Additional uncertainty was caused by the decision of the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) to end direct financing of the league at the end of the year. A possible transition to the new "LIV Golf 2.0" model, along with the reduction of prize money and changes in the structure of the competition, opened numerous questions about the future of the project, but also about how the biggest stars like Rahm will behave.

Spanish teenage sensation Rafael Jodar defeated Lorenzo Musetti 6-4, 6-3 in the third round of the Montreal Masters.

This was Jodar's second win over Musetti in just seven days, having previously eliminated him in the quarterfinals of the tournament in Washington.

Musetti started the match well and took a 2-0 lead in the first set. However, the Italian already struggled with his serve at the start of the match, and he had to save his first service game for as long as 11 minutes.

With the score 4-4 in the first set, Jodar made a decisive break, tied as many as 11 points in a row and won the first set 6-4. From that moment on, Musetti's game experienced a decline, while the young Spaniard took control of the match.

In the second set, Musetti tried to change the rhythm and push Jodar out of his comfort zone with frequent short balls. However, the key moment happened already at the beginning of the set, when after a long rally of 26 shots, Jodar won an important point after Musetti's mistake at the net.

The Spaniard then broke again to take a 5-3 lead and comfortably closed out the match, achieving another great victory against the world No. 13.

Experienced Lorenzo Musetti commented on Rafael Jodar's game, praising his progress, but also his excellent tennis. According to him, Jodar seems physically and mentally ready, with excellent chances to achieve success in the coming days.

Musetti believes that Jodar will be one of the main favorites here, as he has already analyzed his game beforehand, aware of the danger that came from the young tennis player.

“I probably faced him during the best two weeks of his career. I don’t know how things will go this week, but he is certainly playing excellent tennis and has been in great form since Washington. 

He looks physically and mentally fit, he has a lot of confidence and is showing a very high level. He is one of the favorites here. I already knew before the match started that it would be difficult. Congratulations to him on these two victories, and we will see if I can get my revenge at the next tournaments,” he said.

For Rafael Jodar, the next challenge is the round of 16 match of the Masters in Montreal against the Czech tennis player Jiri Lehecka.

The Spanish teenager is in incredible shape, and with the victory over Musetti, he ensured the continuation of his historic campaign in Canada.

The winner of this match in the quarter-finals will play against the better of the duel between Cameron Norrie and Arthur Fills. Given that even seven of the top ten seeds have already dropped out, Jodar has a great opportunity for a historically deep placement at a Masters 1000 tournament.

Thanks to the final in Washington last week and a great run in Montreal, the 19-year-old Jodar has made a big jump in the ATP rankings and is currently at a record 15th place.

Also, he currently occupies the 11th position in the live race for the Final Masters in Turin, which means that each new victory in Montreal significantly increases his chances of debuting among the top eight tennis players in the world at the end of the season. In addition, he convincingly leads the Next Gen race for young players.

The meteoric rise of the 19-year-old Spaniard during 2026 completely changed his personal expectations, while tennis experts already see in him the next big superstar and a direct threat to the dominance of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.

After reaching the finals in Washington and entering the round of 16 in Montreal, expectations are extremely high on both sides, but they differ in approach. While many are already talking about his huge potential and future fight for the biggest titles, the teenager tries to stay focused on the current challenges.

Rafael constantly emphasizes that he tries to stay firmly on the ground. After his big victories, he pointed out that he plays tennis primarily "for fun" and that his biggest motivation is that his father follows him from the box, reminding him of the days when he was just starting at the age of four.

After another win over Musetti in Montreal, Jodar admitted that the match was psychologically difficult, especially after leading 4-1 in the first set. His current expectation of himself is the ability to quickly reset mentally and maintain aggressive but consistent tennis in key moments.

The Spanish teenager is aware that the draw in Montreal has opened up significantly after the elimination of a large number of seeds. His goal before the match against Jiri Lehecka is to fight for the quarterfinals without too much respect for favored players, which he has already proven with victories over Arthur Fils, Lorenzo Musetti and Kei Nishikori.

The news that Carlos Alcaraz withdrew from the Cincinnati Open sparked a wave of reactions in tennis circles.

For several days and weeks before that, there was concern whether the 23-year-old Spaniard would play at the Cincinnati Open, and the worst predictions came true.

Naturally, questions then arose about whether Carlos Alcaraz would play at the US Open and how dominant he could be at the tournament.

Among the important figures who reacted to Carlos Alcaraz's withdrawal from Cincinnati is Steve Johnson, a former tennis player.

Johnson is aware of how passionate the fans are and how eagerly they await the return of Carlos Alcaraz, but moments like these naturally create pessimism.

“I’m just a bit sad for all the tennis fans out there,” Johnson said.

“We want to see Carlos back; tennis is better when he is out there and competing.

“But look, there are good signs. You can see him moving in some of these videos that he’s posting, it’s getting closer and closer."

Steve Johnson points out that ultimately fans should not share their concerns, with videos of Carlos Alcaraz practicing showing that he is in good physical condition and is getting closer to a return.

The Spanish tennis player has already emphasized that he does not want to take risks or return too soon, aware that this could jeopardize all chances and create serious issues.

“But you’ve got to just be so careful with the right wrist injury for Carlos. He’s so young, still so much life ahead of him on tour. So you can’t rush it back, but I really hope he’s back for the [US] Open,” he continued.

Danielle Collins also reacted to Carlos Alcaraz's chances to defend the title in New York during the interview. According to her, this situation makes it even more difficult for Carlos Alcaraz, especially since he has not played a single match since Barcelona.

Nevertheless, the Spaniard is such a player that most believe that, despite such a break, he still has excellent chances to achieve success at the US Open, as well as in the tournaments that follow.

Steve Johnson sends a clear message to Carlos Alcaraz not to play at the US Open. According to the former tennis player, Carlos Alcaraz can create additional problems for himself. It is certainly important that he fully recovers and prepares.

However, he claims that if he had to name one tennis player who has the potential to succeed after such a break and injury, he believes that it is Carlos Alcaraz.

“For the common man, no [I would not advise them to return for the US Open]. But if you’re Carlos Alcaraz, you can do whatever you want. If there’s somebody that could do it, I believe it’s him,” Johnson said.

“But you just got to be super smart because that’s his moneymaker; that right wrist, that forehand, that serve, the power that he can generate.

So unless he is 100 percent healthy and feels that he can finish the tournament, seven matches, best three out of five, then he shouldn’t play, which is not what you want to hear as a tennis fan.”

After Carlos Alcaraz withdrew from the Cincinnati Masters due to a long-term injury to his right wrist, tennis experts expressed great concern and gave him clear tactical and strategic recommendations for the upcoming US Open.

Former British tennis player Greg Rusedski believes that Alcaraz should not play at the US Open without a single preparatory match. He emphasizes that entering matches that are played in a best-of-five sets format after a break of several months is a huge risk of renewing the wrist tendon injury (tenosynovitis).

The legendary Andy Roddick recommends that Alcaraz drastically change his approach to the game on hard courts. He advises him to implement Novak Djokovic's style in his system, that is, to start playing more "boring" tennis instead of aiming for spectacular shots in every point. The goal is to stabilize the rhythm through control from the baseline in order to reduce physical effort and relieve the injured wrist.

The well-known coach Rick Macci stresses that Alcaraz must be mentally prepared for fierce criticism from the public due to a possible drop in form, ball speed and consistency at the very beginning of his return. Macci tells him to accept the process and not push for dominance from the first round, because he will need time to catch the competitive intensity.

The answer to that question will never be given by anyone except Carlos Alcaraz, his team and the doctors. With a careful analysis of the situation and the advice of the doctors, we have no doubt that Carlos Alcaraz will make the right decision and return when he is 100% fit.

Spanish tennis player Carlos Alcaraz experimented with braids at the end of July, but kept that look for only a few days.

Alcaraz attracted enormous attention from the public and the media when he shared photos on his Instagram profile from his vacation and training sessions where, instead of his previously long hair, he had tightly braided cornrows along his head.

He showed off the haircut 8 days ago, during the period of recovery from an injury to his right wrist and preparations for his return to the court. His change in appearance sparked numerous reactions on social media. While some colleagues, such as Matteo Berrettini, supported him, some fans joked that he "thinks he's Bad Bunny", while others criticized his new style.

However, the experiment with braids did not last long. Already few days after he presented the new look, a new video from training appeared on the X platform, which confirmed that Alcaraz had removed his braids and returned to a new hairstyle.

This isn't the first time Alcaraz has drastically changed his appearance ahead of a North American tour. Last year, he drew attention when he shaved his head completely.

The Spanish tennis player has experimented in this way many times in his career, showing that he is free to show another side of his personality. Although the Spanish tennis player is not someone who enjoys attracting attention, this time he really wanted to experiment with his hairstyle, but it seems that he was not too happy with the last experiment.

Fans on social media had mixed reactions regarding his hairstyle. While some claimed that the new look suited Carlos Alcaraz and was a completely unusual choice for a tennis player, others criticized him, believing that such a hairstyle did not suit him and that he should avoid experimenting with his appearance too much.

Among the important figures who reacted to Carlos Alcaraz's appearance is Eugenie Bouchard, a former Canadian tennis player, who reacted via X.

The former Canadian tennis player shared a photo of Alcaraz with braids, with an interesting caption.

…no comment 🤭 https://t.co/TDeKppA2W9

— Genie Bouchard (@geniebouchard) August 6, 2026

Eugenie Bouchard showed that Carlos Alcaraz really managed to provoke reactions not only from fans, but also from important tennis figures.

Carlos Alcaraz is currently recovering from a serious injury to his right wrist that has kept him sidelined since April, and his comeback plans underwent a major change just a few days ago.

Although his hairstyle was a short-lived entertainment for the fans, the situation with the return to competitions is much more serious because the Spaniard defends a huge number of points in the rest of the season.

Alcaraz has officially withdrawn from the Cincinnati Open, which will be played from August 13 to 23. He made this decision because his wrist is still not 100 percent ready for maximum effort, thus losing 1,000 points because he was the defending champion there.

The main goal of his team is to get him fully fit for the US Open, where he is also defending his title and 2,000 points. However, tennis experts warn that going to the Grand Slam in the format of three won sets without a single warm-up match is a huge risk.

In order not to go to New York completely without matches, Alcaraz and his team are considering seeking a "wildcard" to the ATP 250 tournament in Winston-Salem, which is played a week before the US Open.

Due to a four-month break during which he missed Roland Garros and Wimbledon, Alcaraz has already fallen to third place on the ATP rankings, while Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev are ahead of him.

Alcaraz's team refuses to set a firm deadline for his return. They are aware that a poorly treated wrist injury could jeopardize his career, so their goal is to ensure that Carlos plays for the next 10 to 15 years, following the example of Novak Djokovic.

Alcaraz himself is aware that the return will be difficult. His team consciously sacrificed his position in the ATP rankings and missed Roland Garros and Wimbledon in order for the wrist to fully heal.

Alcaraz also faces a mental challenge, having admitted that the hardest thing for him to accept was the rest when he was at his peak, after winning the Australian Open. However, he is using the injury as a "window of opportunity" to work on his fitness, strengthening the rest of his body and taking a mental break.

The Spanish tennis player has high ambitions, and his priority is to fully recover and prepare for the next challenges with the desire to take over the world number one spot.

Mirra Andreeva showed absolute dominance in her first match at the National Bank Open in Toronto, and in the next round she will face home favorite Leylah Fernandez.

Since she was the fifth seed and had a bye in the first round, Andreeva started her performance in the second round of the tournament. The Russian easily defeated Czech veteran and former world No. 1 Karolina Pliskova 6-0, 6-2.

The match lasted only 54 minutes, and Andreeva showed high-quality tennis without any signs of problems after her break following Wimbledon. She hit 16 winners, did not make a single double fault and won 77 percent of the points won on her first serve, leaving Karolina with almost no chance of returning to the match.

In the third round, Andreeva will play home player and 30th seed Leylah Fernandez. The match is scheduled for August 7 at the central court in Toronto.

A special atmosphere is expected as Fernandez will have strong support from the Canadian crowd. The Canadian also celebrated in the previous round without dropping a set, defeating Renata Zarazua, so the match against one of the best young tennis players in the world will be a big challenge for both players.

After Wimbledon, Andreeva decided to take a period of rest in order to prepare for the next challenges. The teenager wanted to get away from everything and take some time for herself, which, judging by the first match, turned out to be the right move.

“I think that time off was very much needed. I just wanted to switch off from tennis completely and just have some time off. I didn't play tennis for almost two weeks. That was just nice mentally to forget about everything.”

The young tennis player pointed out that she is excited about returning to prestigious tournaments, as she is a bit tired of practicing.

“I was actually very excited to start playing because I was kind of tired of practicing already. So, yeah, I was super excited to start the tournament here.”

Already in the next round, she will face a big challenge, as she will play in front of the home crowd against Canadian Leylah Fernandez.

There is no doubt that Fernandez will have strong support from the Canadian fans, but Andreeva believes she can achieve a positive result and possibly overcome another hurdle in the tournament.

The young tennis player achieved great success in a relatively short period of time, and now the most important thing is to set clear goals, remove additional pressure and dedicate herself to future challenges.

“If I play Leylah, for sure it's going to be tough. Starting with the fact that she's playing at home, so obviously the crowd is going to support her. And at the same time, she's an amazing player.”

Her biggest ambition is to succeed at Grand Slam tournaments, just like most players on the WTA Tour. So far, her best result at the US Open has been reaching the third round.

“I want to hope that it will come. One year it has to come. I love playing in New York, but so far it hasn't been the greatest. I just hope that this year, or in the future, it's just going to come.”

Andreeva is having the best season of her career. After her great success at Roland Garros in 2026, where she won her first Grand Slam title, she further confirmed her status as one of the leading figures in women's tennis. She is currently ranked fifth in the WTA rankings, while she is first in the WTA Race standings for the final tournament, which means she has won the most points this season.

Although she won Roland Garros on clay this season, Andreeva is now expected to carry the same dominance onto North American hard courts. The National Bank Open in Toronto represents an important test of her form and an opportunity to show how she can handle the best players on this surface as well.

The main goal will be preparation for the US Open, where she wants to improve his previous results and try to attack a new Grand Slam title. Andreeva will try to time her form in order to arrive in New York fully prepared for the end of the tournament.

In addition, it will be important to maintain the leading position in the WTA Race ranking. Since she is currently in first place in the race for the final tournament, where points won only in 2026 are counted, great consistency is expected from her in the rest of the season.

Any deeper placement at Grand Slam tournaments, such as the quarterfinals or semifinals in Toronto, would further strengthen her position at the top of this prestigious list and confirm that she belongs to the very top of women's tennis.

Coco Gauff is one of the most recognizable figures in tennis, and the support she receives from tournament to tournament is truly impressive.

However, the main topic in the tennis world for the last few weeks and throughout this year is Alex Eala, a Filipina tennis player who is attracting a lot of attention.

The 21-year-old receives incredible support from the Filipinos at prestigious tournaments, and most of her colleagues and rivals are delighted with the way the fans from this country support their star player.

With her last victory at the Washington Open, Alex Eala further raised the atmosphere and caused new positive reactions in her homeland. Not long after that, an important figured in this sport commented on the support that Eala receives not only in Washington, but also in numerous earlier tournaments.

At the press conference at the latest tournament, Coco Gauff spoke about the Filipino tennis player, pointing out that Alex Eala brings new popularity to tennis in the Philippines and around the world with her influence. The American tennis player revealed that after the match she played in Dubai, she received a lot of support from the Filipino fans, after praising Alex Eala.

According to her, it is impressive to see a tennis player who can connect sport and a nation in such a way, just like Alex Eala managed to do. Coco Gauff pointed out that she enjoyed the atmosphere in Dubai and that she would like to have such an exciting match again in front of a large number of fans..

"I think it's great for the sport and for all the players. She's obviously the one leading the movement in that region, but I think it's opening people's eyes. After my match in Dubai, a lot of Filipinos came out to support me just because of my post-match comments about Alex. I thought that was really special," Gauff said.

“Like, obviously she’s the one leading the charge in that region, but I think it opens up new eyes. I’ve had, after my match I played in Dubai, I had a bunch of Filipinos come to support me just because of my comments after the match towards Alex. I thought that was super cool.

I think that’s just so great that one player can really bridge the gap between like a sport and a nation that maybe hadn’t had that representation before. I mean, she’s an easy person to be a fan of too. I don’t know, I love playing in environments like that. I had so much fun in Dubai, and would definitely like to play in another environment against her. Because even if they’re not rooting for you, it’s still like so fun and makes me feel like you’re playing at a, I don’t know, like a basketball, like the World Cup a little bit, and I think that’s cool.”

Such feelings were shared by many tennis players who had the opportunity to play against Alex Eala. The support that the Filipino tennis player receives shows how much one player can connect the sport and the nation in a special way.

Eala has already talked about the incredible support she receives from her fans, and her wish is that the Filipinos continue to be just as passionate in the upcoming tournaments

The leading women's tennis players of the WTA express their great delight and respect for the incredible support of the Filipino crowd for the young Alex Eala in tournaments around the world. Eala has become a real global phenomenon, and the atmosphere at her matches is very different from standard tennis settings.

American tennis player Jessica Pegula faced Eala and her extremely loud supporters several times. After Eala defeated Pegula in the Mubadala DC Open final, the American spoke about the incredible energy that the Filipino fans bring.

Pegula recalled the match in Miami, where the home crowd was on Pegula's side, but she was still surprised by the large number of Filipino fans who supported Eala. She pointed out that it was a special experience to see so much passion and love for a tennis player.

Canadian tennis player Leylah Fernandez, whose mother is from the Philippines, has a special connection with the whole story. She especially watched the atmosphere created by Filipino fans at the tournament in Toronto, where a large community from this country lives.

Fernandez pointed out that the Filipino fans bring a special energy and that they showed enormous love both for her and for Alex Eala. According to her, it is precisely because of such a massive and passionate fan base that Eala has become one of the most popular players on the WTA Tour.

Alexander Zverev endured a disappointing start to the North American hard-court swing, falling in his first match since the Wimbledon final.

World no. 2 fell in the opening match at the Canadian Masters in Montreal, losing to Tallon Griekspoor 6-7, 6-2, 6-4 despite arriving as the tournament's top seed.

Ice-cold 🥶 @Griekii comes out on top in a three-set showdown against Zverev.@OBNmontreal | #NBO26 pic.twitter.com/5C3R7ScBYO

— ATP Tour (@atptour) August 5, 2026

The Roland Garros champion spent ten days in July at Rafa Nadal Academy, working hard ahead of the North American swing. However, the German admitted he had not expected to perform at his best in Montreal, although he was surprised by the level he produced.

Zverev revealed he had taken some time off after an excellent run over the previous months and felt that returning to competition would not be easy. 

Still, he described the encounter against Griekspoor as his poorest performance of the season, saying he rarely plays at such a level.

World no. 2 did not bring his usual firepower to his Montreal opener. Tallon outplayed him in every segment to turn the tables and deliver a notable victory, the first over the German in a year and a half. 

The Dutchman served well and lost serve once. He provided four breaks to emerge at the top and send the favorite packing. They served well in the opener, with Zverev denying a late break point to reach a tie break. 

He secured early mini-breaks and clinched it 7-3. However, Tallon stepped in on the return in the second set, providing two breaks and claiming it 6-2 to gain a boost ahead of the decider. 

The lower-ranked player controlled the scoreboard with another break before the favorite erased the deficit with his only break in game eight. However, Alexander experienced another break at 4-4 before Tallon emerged at the top on his serve.

The top seed experienced the setback but took it with a calm approach. He stressed that every season brings ups and downs and pointed to his strong results over the past few months as proof that he is moving in the right direction. 

With Montreal behind him, Alexander has already shifted his attention to the Cincinnati Masters and the US Open, where he hopes to rediscover the form that made him one of the ATP Tour's standout players at the previous two Major events.

“To be honest, I expected not to play well this week. I said it before the tournament started, and though I played very well over the last couple of months, I took a little time off.

And I practiced then, but it's tough competition. However, I did not expect to play this badly. This was probably the worst match I played this season - I did not have too many of those, but this one stands as the worst.

However, it’s fine - it’s a process. Tennis comes with ups and downs, and I’m very happy with the last couple of months. Now it’s about getting back to that form for Cincinnati and the US Open,” Alexander Zverev said. 

The LIV Golf League refuses to die. Scott O'Neil, the league's CEO, which has lost the backing of the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF), released a statement, obtained by Golf.com, indicating the existence of an investor, whose name will not be revealed until September, prepared to put $250 million on the table.

This sum, which falls far short of the $470 million in prize money the LIV had in 2026 before the cancellation of the Michigan team tournament with a $50 million purse, will allow for the creation of a new version of the league with 10 events: five in the United States, surrounding the major tournaments, and five in other countries. These will be called 'Team Majors,' a name that suggests they will be played in locations where existing franchises are already established: Australia (Ripper), South Africa (Southern Guards GC), and Korea (Korean Golf Club). Spain?...

The new agreement will also make key figures in the league majority shareholders, especially players who are still owed contracts that will be suspended because, according to other sources, the competition will file for bankruptcy. The prize money will drop from 30 million per tournament to 20 or 15 million, and the golfers will regain full rights to commercially exploit their image.

PIF announced in April that LIV was no longer part of its strategic plans after investing £5.4 billion since the summer of 2022. "We wouldn't need any more investors to continue, but we have the opportunity to do so," O'Neil said.

The Rules are a set of standards and procedures by which the sport of golf should be played. They are jointly written and administered by the Royal & Ancient St. Andrews, the governing body of golf worldwide, except in the United States and Mexico, which are governed by the United States Association. An expert committee composed of members of the R&A and the USGA oversees and refines the rules every four years. The latest revision took effect on January 1, 2016. Amendments to the Rules of Golf are generally divided into two main categories: those that improve understanding and those that reduce penalties in certain cases to ensure balance. The rulebook is published regularly and also includes rules governing amateur status. In Italy, the Italian Golf Federation is responsible for overseeing competitions by enforcing the rules issued by the R&A, ensuring that these rules are observed by clubs, associations, and their members, and managing the resulting sporting justice, protecting their interests abroad.

The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) has introduced mandatory, one-time genetic testing for eligibility for all female tennis players who want to compete in professional tournaments.

This historic and controversial decision was made in order to comply with the new rules of International Olympic Committee (IOC) and represents one of the conditions for participation in the upcoming Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028.

Under the new policy, female players will be tested for the presence of the SRY gene, a segment of DNA normally found on the Y chromosome that is associated with the initiation of male ------- development. The testing will be done only once in a career, and the sample will be taken by a cheek swab, saliva sample or blood analysis.

This represents a major change from the previous WTA Tour rules. The previous policy allowed transgender women to compete in women's competitions if they maintained the prescribed level of testosterone in their blood during a certain period. According to the new rules, the right to compete in the women's category belongs to biological women who do not have the SRY gene.

Female tennis players who refuse genetic testing could face suspension, fines and a ban from WTA tournaments.

The WTA's decision caused major divisions and numerous discussions among players, scientists and the public. The best tennis player in the world, Aryna Sabalenka, openly supported the new rule, stressing that it is important to preserve fairness in sport and protect the women's category.

A number of experts in the field of bioethics and genetics have warned that testing only for the presence of the SRY gene may be an overly simplistic approach. They state that this kind of policy could negatively affect inter---- cisgender women who have certain genetic variations and may not even be aware of it.

At the same time, there are currently no known active transgender tennis players on the WTA Tour, which further raised the question of the real impact and need for such a rule change.

Coco Gauff has backed the WTA Tour's new mandatory gene-testing rule, but warned after her opening match in Toronto that discussing the topic is creating bigotry against the trans community.

The American tennis player, a two-time Grand Slam winner, told reporters that she understands the argument about protecting equality in women's sports, but that she is bothered by the way the topic is being politicized.

After the match against Kayla Day, she spoke about this important topic in women's sports.

“I definitely support the trans community, but I also support the need of creating fairness in sport.

I understand the reasoning behind it. I do think that this kind of conversation has created a lot of animosity towards the trans community, which I’m not really a big fan of,” Gauff said Wednesday after defeating Kayla Day 6-2, 7-5 in her opening match at the WTA 1000 event, one rung below the Grand Slams.

I also understand, I guess, the biological difference and the need to protect that and preserve that. So I think it’s a conversation that is very nuanced, and I need to have a nuanced answer."

Gauff added that some of the backlash comes not from a genuine concern for the sport, but from a desire to attack the trans community.

“So, yes, I guess I kind of agree with trying to protect the fairness in women’s sports. But I also do not like the attack that it is creating. People who don’t really care, but just want to use this as a reason to attack the trans community. So I’m not really a big fan of that either.” she concluded.

For now, it is not clear how many, if any, transgender women are competing at the Olympic level, let alone on the WTA Tour. The WTA said the policy distinguishes between biological --- and gender identity and that there is no intention to disrespect or challenge the gender identity or dignity of any person.

Mandatory gender screening, which is already implemented by the governing bodies of athletics, skiing and boxing, has been criticized by human rights experts and activist groups. Gauff also raised the issue of the transparency of the process, stating that some players found out about the new rule only when it was officially announced.

These topics have always been sensitive in all sports, including tennis. Questions related to this issue have been popping up more and more frequently in different sports in recent years, and opinions are mostly divided. However, it seems that most support decisions like the one made by the WTA.

The match of the second round of the Masters in Montreal (National Bank Open) ended with a victory for the 19-year-old Brazilian tennis player by a score of 7:6, 7:5 between Stefanos Tsitsipas and Joao Fonseca.

During the second set, Tsitsipas got into a heated discussion with the umpire because he was extremely dissatisfied with the surface and the unpredictable bounce of the ball on the centre court. The Greek tennis player complained that the court was not level and compared it to public recreational courts.

Tsitsipas said: "Do you see the bounce? It looks like a public court. The ball bounces like that. Do you see it? This is not a singles court. We're in a Masters 1000. What are we doing?"

After calling on the umpiree to come down and look at the part of the court that he claimed directly affected his point, Tsitsipas added: "I would never miss that shot. The surface is not uniform. It's uneven."

The umpire then inspected the court and responded that he did not see any physical damage or irregularities on the surface, saying: "Do you see anything on the court at the moment? There's no bump. No apparent bump. There is no bubble. There is no proper bubble."

At the press conference after the match, Joao Fonseca commented on the problems with the surface that Stefanos Tsitsipas also faced. The Brazilian revealed that he had similar difficulties as the Greek tennis player, but that he managed to adapt to the existing conditions.

At just 19 years old, the young Brazilian already shows great maturity, aware that the world of tennis is sometimes unpredictable and that solutions need to be found regardless of the circumstances. Fonseca admitted that he himself had problems, especially when Tsitsipas played backhands with more spin and more height, because such shots were difficult to judge.

However, he managed to adapt to the situation and in the end claimed a well-deserved victory.

“Well, I saw a little bit, like when I play in the practice courts, I felt a little bit bouncy, but in the center court it’s a little bit more bouncy,” said Fonseca.

“Sometimes when he hits his backhand, which has more spin, higher, sometimes the ball bounced a little bit, and it’s difficult to read it.

But, yeah, after I got used to it. So, yeah, you need to adapt to the circumstances of the court and, yeah, you need to find solutions.”

For Fonseca, this was the first victory at the Canadian Open, and in the next round he will face a difficult challenge against Casper Ruud. The two already met earlier this year in the round of 16 at Roland Garros, when the young Brazilian won with a score of 7:5, 7:6.

Fonseca wants to take advantage of the current momentum, aware that several big names are missing from this tournament, which opens up an additional opportunity for him to achieve a significant result. Nevertheless, the young Brazilian remains cautious because he knows that the Canadian Open is filled with quality tennis players who have already shown during this year that they have the ability to achieve great results.

After a great victory over Stefanos Tsitsipas in Montreal, 19-year-old Joao Fonseca is expected to make a full breakthrough into the world's tennis elite and break into the ATP top 15.

The Brazilian teenager is currently ranked 27th in the world, and experts and the tennis public expect great things from him in 2026.

Fonseca has publicly stated that his main goal for this season is to enter the top 15 tennis players in the world. Tennis legends like Brad Gilbert believe that if he continues at this pace, the young Brazilian could very quickly make an even bigger leap and attack a place among the top 10 players.

Great attention will also be focused on his performance at the US Open. After his spectacular quarter-final run at Roland Garros, where he made a big turnaround against Novak Djokovic after a 0:2 deficit in the sets, many analysts consider him one of the biggest threats at the upcoming Grand Slam and a potential candidate for the final stages of the tournament.

Fonseca is also one of the main favorites to win the Next Gen ATP Finals. He is currently ranked second in the PIF ATP Live Next Gen Race of young stars and could end the year with a major trophy for the world's best young players.

However, the Brazilian himself emphasizes that his biggest focus in the second part of the season is maintaining consistency at the Masters and Grand Slam tournaments. He is aware that he must avoid the big drops in his game and the oscillations that accompanied him at the beginning of the year, because stability will be key in his attempt to make an even bigger step towards the top of world tennis.

Donald Trump continues to win golf tournaments at 80 years old. The 'X' Nuclear Golf account reported that the US president triumphed on Saturday in the senior category at the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, the venue that will host the LIV New York Golf Championship next week.

Trump, repeating his victory from last year, notched his 40th career club tournament win. This time, without applying his handicap—he presumably maintains a superb 2.5—he carded a 70, one more than in 2015 and three more than in August 2023, when he shot a 67 and even shared the club pro's phone number so anyone who wanted to could "confirm" the score. This year, a Twitter user even added that they saw his round and that on the 14th hole, the ball gave him a terrible necktie.

Each of these announcements has been met with skepticism. Sports journalist Rick Reilly, author of the book 'Commander in Cheat: How Golf Explains Trump', has been the most persistent critic, pointing out that Trump only tends to win on courses he owns and has never excelled in external tournaments with judges, cameras, and strict rules. After last year's victory, Reilly even wrote on social media: "Is our president a golf cheat?" after a video circulated of a caddie moving the ball to his advantage in Bedminster.

Other golfers and personalities who have played with him — from boxer Oscar de la Hoya to musician Alice Cooper — have also hinted in the past that Trump does not always play by the rules.

The Rules of Golf are a set of standards and procedures by which the sport of golf should be played. They are jointly written and administered by the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, the governing body of golf worldwide, except in the United States and Mexico, which are governed by the United States Golf Association. An expert committee composed of members of the R&A and the USGA oversees and refines the rules every four years. The latest revision took effect on January 1, 2016. Amendments to the Rules of Golf are generally divided into two main categories: those that improve understanding and those that reduce penalties in certain cases to ensure balance. The rulebook, entitled "Rules of Golf," is published regularly and also includes rules governing amateur status. In Italy, the Italian Golf Federation is responsible for overseeing competitions by enforcing the rules issued by the R&A, ensuring that these rules are observed by clubs, associations, and their members, and managing the resulting sporting justice, protecting their interests abroad.

Kim Clijsters has become the latest former champion to weigh in on Novak Djokovic's proposal to shorten tennis matches by introducing four-game sets with no-ad scoring.

While the Belgian understands the practical arguments behind the idea, she admits she would struggle to accept such a significant change to one of the sport's defining traditions.

PODE PENDURAR NO LOUVRE. JOÃO FONSECA DERRUBA O 🐐 NOVAK DJOKOVIC EM QUASE 5H DE JOG. DE VIRADA. NA ESTREIA NA QUADRA CENTRAL DE ROLAND GARROS. DNA DE CAMPEÃO. E DO BRASIL. pic.twitter.com/7olKlqTqqj

— Break Point (@BreakPointBR) May 29, 2026

For Clijsters, marathon contests remain among the greatest spectacles tennis has to offer, particularly when they involve the biggest rivals competing on the sport's grandest stages.

The former Major champion described herself as "old school" when discussing the debate surrounding shorter encounters. Clijsters acknowledged the four - and five-hour encounters are relatively rare.

However, she argued that this is precisely what makes them so special. She pointed to unforgettable battles involving Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and more recently, Jannik Sinner, explaining that those dramatic contests have helped shape tennis history. 

In her view, removing the possibility of such epic encounters would take away one of the sport's most unique attractions. Those physically and mentally demanding battles create memories that remain part of tennis lore for decades.

A couple of weeks ago, Novak fought Felix Auger-Aliassime in the Wimbledon quarter-final, prevailing in a five-setter after five hours and 15 minutes to write more pages of history books. 

Clijsters also recognized why Djokovic's proposal has attracted attention beyond the locker room. She noted that broadcasters and commercial partners often prepfer more predictable match lengths, making scheduling considerably easier. 

From that perspective, shortening encounters could provide practical benefits for tournaments and television networks alike. However, Kim believes those commercial considerations should not outweigh the traditions that have made tennis unique.

For her, the occasional five-set classic remains something no other major sport can truly replicate. While she understands the desire to modernize the game, she feels preserving those rare but unforgettable Major battles is ultimately more important than creating shorter television windows.

As the discussion continues, Clijsters' comments reinforce what has become a recurring theme in the debate - finding the right balance between adapting tennis for the future and protecting the traditions that have defined it for generations. 

“I think there’s nothing greater than seeing a four or five hour match. And they do not happen every day, right? To have a few of them in a tournament, especially when you have Novak against Jannik or his duels against Roger and Rafa in the past, those moments stand out so much in the history of our sport.

It would be a shame not to have them anymore. I’m not sure I would love to see that. However, I understand what Novak says, and I hear it a lot from the business world as well.

There are many people who talk about that TV, and it would make things a lot easier for many parties investing in the sport. However, as a player, I’m also kind of old school, and I do not like to see many changes in our sport.

I like seeing those couple of thrilling matches at Majors, with super intense battles. That’s what you do not have in any other sport. That’s why I absolutely love that we still have that,” Kim Clijsters said.